Combination chute and closure



May 26, 1931. v H, ROBINSON 1,807,496

COMBINATION CHUTE AND CLOSURE Filed April 26, 1930 Patented May 26, 1931UNITED STATES HENRY noBInsoN, on NEW YORK, n. Y.

comBInA'rroN CHUTE AND CLOSURE Application filed April 26,

This invention relates to a discharge means or combination chute andchamber closure for use on vegetable paring and washing machines or theequivalent to guide thevegetables or materialinto a receptacle as thesame emerge from the machine andto prevent 1nsertio n of the hands ofthe operator or others into the machine and into contact with therapidly moving mechanism therein.

Thepresent invention otherwise attains all of the objects and advantagesof that disclosed in my pending application for Letters Patent vfor acombination chute and chamber closure, Serial Number 429,157, filedFebruary 17,1930.

It'is particularly aimed to so improve the construction of the aforesaidapplication that especially when it is used as a washerfor spinach andother leafy vegetables or the equivalent, the latter, when discharging,Will not catch-on, pile or accumulate-on any of the parts between thedo'or'opening of the chamber and the catching receptacle."

A further important object is to provlde a construction to attain theendlast mentioned embodying a chute which is substantially completely openatthe' bottom and in which the'latch means for the door has fasteningengagement-with the chute at one or more sides thereof as distinguishedfrom the bottomtliereof and which applies more uniform pressuretothesame and gasket. I 1

Variousadditional obj ects and advantages will become apparent from, aconsideration of the description following, taken in connection withaccompanying drawings, illustrat ing, byway ofexamp'le, one practicalembodiment of the invention. l

In said drawings :5 p I Figure 1 is a view in front elevation, of avegetable paring a'ndwashing machine embodying the invention; p I

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sideelevation;

A5 a. Figure 3 isa fragmentary side elevation reverse to Fig. 3; i VFigure i is a fragmentaryview,showing the chute in plan and'the chamberin section; V Figure 5 is a detail sectiontaken, onthe line 5-5 of Fig.1 and r 1930." Serial Nb. 447,645.

Figure 6 is a section taken on the line 66 Referring" specifically tothe drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like 'orsimilar parts throughout the differ- .56 ent views, A represents avegetable paring and washing machine of the general type disclosed inLetters Patent of the United States issued to me Numbers 1,752,202 and1,7 52,203 on March 25, 1930, although it is obvious that no limitationis to be implied in this connection, since the improvement may be usedwith other apparatus within the scope of the invention, as defined inappended claims.

' In so far as it is necessary to describe the machine for anunderstanding of the present improvements, 10 designates the chamberwherein the vegetables or 1 materials are washed through the medium of asuitably rotated agitating element 11. Said chamber has a hinged lid orcover 9 and a lateral discharge opening 12 through its side wall whichis normally closed by a door or closure 13 preferably having a gasket at14 whereby it may fit the wall of the chamber so that water I or steamcannotescape. Said closure 13 is hinged atitstop'at 15 by a horizontallydisposed pin mounted in lugs 16 and 16 on the chamber and door,respectivel ,permitting the door or closure to be opene by swinging thesame upwardly.

, In connection with the said discharge opening 12, a frame or chute 17is employed which may be a casting or otherwise constructed in one ormore parts, as preferred. Suchchute 17 is generally of 'U-shape inn planand may have lateral attaching flanges 18 at its free edges, which areriveted, welded or otherwise secured at 19 to the chamber;

The parts thus far described, arefsubsta-ntially as shown in myaforesaid pending ap plication Serial Number 429,157.

Unlike the chute of the aforesaid application, the present chute 17' issubstantially completely open at top and bottom, a very narrow bar 21being used at the'bottom to connectthe side walls and the same fittingintimately against the outer surface of the chamber 10. As a result,material dischargmg bycentrifugalforce throughthe action of themechanism 11, through the door opening 12, will pass through the chuteinto a collecting receptacle 28 arranged beneath the same, it beingrealized, that there are no parts in the path of such material whichwill cause the same, especially spinach or equiva lent material, tocatch, pile or mass within the chute or on any part thereof.

The door or closure 13 is adapted to be manipulated for opening orclosing by means of a lever or handle 23 pivoted thereto on a horizontalaxis at 24, the handle portion extending substantially vertically andbeing designated 25. Such lever generally is of T-shape, since it alsohas lateral latch mem bers or extensions 26. Such members 26 are adaptedto enter inclined slots 27 provided in the sides of the chute 17, thusforming a double locking arrangement. Preferably such sides arethickened or reinforced at 29 and the openings 27 also extendtherethrough. It will be noted that the inclination of the slots 27,which is reversed at opposite sides of the chute 17, enables a moreuniform and progressive tightening of the door or closure 13, especiallysuch as becomes necessary incidental to the wear on the gasket 14.

When the machine is in operation, the vegetables or materials are washedwithin the chamber 10, but cannot escape therefrom through the opening12 as the latter is normally closed by door 13 and latched in thatposition by the engagement of the members 26 in slots 27. The vegetablesor materials are adapted to be discharged by centrifugal force by member11 through opening 12 when the door 13 is opened or raised. To open thedoor, the handle 25 is rocked either to the right or left sufficientlyto disengage the members 26 from the slots 27 and is then lifted so asto swing the closure 13 to or toward the top of the chute. Vhen saiddoor israised, it is impossible for any one to insert his hands into themachine through the opening 12. The chute 17 also arrests any scatteringof the materials, confining the same and causing them to fall into thereceptacle 28. Upward escape of the materials is prevented by the door13. At the same time, it will be realized that the chute is substantially completely open at the bottom and that there are no slots or'partsin the path of travel of the vegetables or material on which the samecan catch, pile or mass, whereby complete and positive discharge of allthe material from the chamber direct to the receptacle 28 is assured.

Various changes may be resorted to pro- Vided they fall within the scopeof the invention as defined by appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a machine of the class described, a chamber having a dischargeopening, a chute about said opening for engagement by materialdischarged therethrough to confine the same sothat it will fall from thechute, a closure normally covering said opening means mounting saidclosure for upward movement and against sidewise movement tosubstantially close the top of the chute to prevent upward escape ofmaterial and access to the machine through said opening, and meanscarried by the closure to secure the closure in closed position, andmeans above the bottom of the chute for fastening engagement with saidmeans.

2. In a machine of the class described, a chamber having a dischargeopening, a chute on the exterior of the chamber about said opening, aclosure for said opening, means mounting the closure for upward movementwithin the chute and against lateral movement, and means for securingthe closure over said opening having engagement with the chute above thebottom thereof.

3. In a machine of the class described, a chamber having a dischargeopening, a chute on the exterior of the chamber about said opening, aclosure for said opening, means mounting the closure for upward movementwithin the chute and against lateral movement, and means for securingthe closure over said opening having engagement with a side of thechute.

4. In a machine of the class described, a chamber having a dischargeopening, a chute on the exterior'o-f the chamber about said opening, aclosure for said opening, and means mounting the closure for upwardmovement within the chute and against lateral movement, a lever on theclosure and said chute at a side thereof, having a slot for engagementby the lever to secure the closure in closing position.

5. In a machine of the class described, a chamber having a dischargeopening, a chute on the exterior of the chamber about said opening, aclosure for said opening movable within the chute, a lever for securingthe closure over said opening, opposite sides of said chute havingoppositely inclined slots engageable by the free ends of said lever,said lever being movable to disengage said slots.

6. In a machine of the class described, a chamber having a dischargeopening, a chute on the exterior of the chamber about said opening andopen at top and bottom, a closure for said opening immovable laterallyand adapted in open position to substantially close the chute at thetop, a fastening means on said closure, and said chute at a sidethereof, having a slot engageable by said fasten- 1ng means.

7. In a machine of the class described, a chamber having a dischargeopening, a chute on the exterior of the chamber about said opening andopen at top and bottom, a relatively narrow bar connecting the sidewalls of the chute and fitting said chamber below said opening, aclosure for said opening adapted in open position to substantially closethe chute at the top, a lever pivoted to the closure, said lever havingoppositely extending latch portions, and the sides of the said chutehaving oppositely inclined slots engageable by said latch portions tosecure the closure in closed position.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

HENRY ROBINSON.

